


From Night to Morning

by quillingyousoftly



Category: Beyond Skyline (2017), The Turning (2013)
Genre: Crossover, Crossover Pairings, Guilt, M/M, Muteness, Past Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Pre-Slash, Recovery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-10
Updated: 2020-09-10
Packaged: 2021-03-07 00:00:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,976
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26387584
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/quillingyousoftly/pseuds/quillingyousoftly
Summary: David was a good neighbor and a good friend, always looking out for everyone else. It was time someone cared for him for a change.
Relationships: Mark (Beyond Skyline)/David Wilson (The Turning)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 8





	From Night to Morning

**Author's Note:**

  * For [kalika_999](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kalika_999/gifts).



> Happy birthday! 🎈🎉🥂🎂💖 I so hope this is okay! I didn't have much time left to edit, I literally just finished, so I'm sorry for all and any mistakes.

Mark was awake and grabbing a glass of water that night when he saw the lights of David’s car turn on and pass by his house with an accompanying sound of working engine and wheels rolling against gravel; he leaned down to peek through the blinds on his windows, but all he saw was the back of the car hurrying away.

The cop in him made him pause and furrow his brow in thought, but the friendly neighbor side of him told him to disregard it and go back to bed. What David was up to driving away at night wasn’t his business. He stood still in the kitchen for a bit longer, torn between the two sides, before finally letting the exhaustion decide.

He got up too late the following morning, and he was only cracking eggs onto the pan when Trent left, saying he’d be late for school. Mark was disappointed with himself; Rose never slept in. She’d make breakfast for all three of them and get ready for her own work. Meanwhile, he hadn’t even returned to his job yet and he was already screwing it all up.

If he hadn’t though, there would’ve been a good chance he’d have missed David’s car coming back. He stilled, watching from the window as it rolled onto the driveway and stopped; as David, looking haunted, dressed in the same clothes Mark could swear he saw him in the previous day, got out, swaying like he was drunk, though Mark hoped it was exhaustion; as his wife stalked out of the house, yelling. Mark’s window was ajar by pure chance, and the wife’s ringing voice made it easy to hear everything.

"David Wilson! What the hell do you think you're doing, sneaking out in the middle of the night?!" Mark watched her stride over and shove David back, hard; he stumbled, and Mark couldn't see it from that far away, but he could well imagine his eyes going wide. The wife waited for any kind of answer as he righted himself, but when she didn't get it, she blew up again.

"What the  _ fuck _ is wrong with you?! Why won't you just fucking talk to me? I swear it's like talking to a wall with you these days!"

Mark watched David in suspense, expecting him to pull out his old Nokia he used for typing any moment now, but he just stood there, making no attempt at communication whatsoever. His wife turned on her heel and stalked back inside the house, shutting the door behind herself. Mark couldn't hear the lock turn, but when David approached the door to open it, it didn't budge. Before Mark could decide to reveal himself and invite David in for coffee and breakfast, David looked at his watch and dragged himself back to his car, surely to drive to work.

Mark was still looking out the window, David on his mind, when he smelled smoke and leapt to the stove with a curse on his lips; the eggs and bacon were charred, and he sighed heavily. In moments like these, he just wanted to grab a beer and go back to sleep, but then he thought back to all those weeks he spent on the couch wasted out of his mind and felt guilt choking him. David didn't spend all his free time pulling him out of that gutter and keeping an eye on Trent for Mark to spiral back down because of some burnt breakfast. The thought actually made him a little sick, so he scraped the charred food into the trash and decided to do something useful for a change.

Mowing the lawn went well, and Mark felt a little better about himself when he was done and admiring his work. Maybe it was just a baby step, but a step forward in his recovery nonetheless. He smiled to himself as he looked over the garden. It used to be Rose's pride, but now it was unkempt and overtaken by weeds. He nodded to himself, retrieved gardening gloves from the shed, and got to work. As he did, he let his thoughts wander, and they circled back to David. Where did he go last night? What kept him there until morning? His first thought was an affair, but it just wasn't like him. Or was it? Did Mark really know his quiet neighbor? David was there for him when Mark needed it the most, and even now they'd still meet up for a bottle of beer every weekend, but it was mainly Mark talking. He never minded that David preferred to listen, but now he was slowly realizing he didn't know his new friend all that well. 

Still, an affair just didn't fit David's character. Mark knew his marriage had been going through a rough patch recently; even before the fight he witnessed a few hours ago, he'd figured that much out. Maybe David just left after another fight; he probably just drove around, judging by the look of him. 

Mark sighed to himself. David was a good neighbor and a good friend, always looking out for everyone else. It was time someone cared for him for a change.

*

Mark got out of his car and leaned against the front door so David could easily spot him. He scanned the schoolyard in search of him, but while the bell had already rang and students filed out of the main door, David himself must have got held up, maybe locking up the class or cleaning it up. Mark wasn't sure what teachers did besides teaching those days.

A few minutes later, he finally saw him walk out the door among a small crowd of students. He ambled across the yard mechanically without looking up in search of Mark; he appeared to be lost in thought, and it made Mark frown in worry. It wasn't quite like him, especially that he knew Mark would pick him up for their weekend getaway. But then, Mark never picked him up from work before; maybe that was how he always was just before leaving, already planning upcoming lessons and whatnot. 

Mark was about to call out to him, but stopped short when a crushed soda can hit David in the back. It was easy to track its trajectory to the culprits, a group of older boys who turned away almost instantly, their shoulder shaking in laughter. Mark expected David to walk over to them and give them detention, but while he faltered, he kept on walking with his head down until he reached the main gate; only then he looked up. His face lit up when he saw Mark, and he waved.

Mark didn't like to think much about it as it was still too painful, but the first thing about his late wife he fell in love with was the way her eyes would light up with genuine joy whenever she spotted him. It made him feel special. Dave's look was similar, and it warmed him up all over.

"Ready to go?" he asked when David reached him.

David made an incoherent gesture at his car, smiling a little sheepishly, but Mark understood what he wanted to say.

"Sure, let me help you." 

They walked over to his car unhurriedly, Mark watching him out of the corner of his eye. He looked happy if a little quivery, and it was such a contrast to the David Mark had seen that fateful morning with his wife. Mark took his fishing rod from the back of his car while David took his bag, and they turned back to Mark’s car. 

“New one?”

David nodded. Mark didn’t know why he had assumed David already had a rod when he proposed spending the weekend fishing. Maybe if he knew he’d have thought of something else, but David didn’t seem to mind, quite the opposite; he looked excited. There was no point in beating himself up about it. 

They packed David’s things inside the trunk and got in the car. Mark passed David a playlist he burned the other day to choose a song, and for the first few minutes of driving he was quiet as David went through it to finally settle on Take Me Home, Country Roads. Mark smiled to himself; he added that song last minute. He had a feeling David would like it.

But when he glanced at him, David looked worried. Sensing he was being watched, he raised a small, empty bottle after some cheap bourbon with a questioning look.

“That’s old, I promise.” Mark couldn’t yank it out of David’s grasp and throw it on the backseat fast enough. “I still need to clean up the car. There just… wasn’t time.” More like, he never had enough energy for that, despite not working and barely doing anything at home. But David didn’t judge him, he never had; his expression cleared, and he pulled out his phone to type. He was a fast typist, he wrote whole sentences with one thumb faster than Mark could read them.

_ I’ll help. _

Mark felt himself relax and smiled. “Thanks, man. I think I’m gonna need it.” They spent another while in silence before he worked up the courage to ask in the most casual voice he could muster, “What about you, are you okay?”

David simply nodded. 

“I saw what happened at school,” Mark admitted with his eyes on the road. He spared a glance at David, but he wasn’t reaching for his phone again, and he looked away as soon as their eyes locked. “You shoulda given them detention.” 

_ It was an accident. _

“Didn’t look like one,” Mark argued. He was sure David knew; he wasn’t stupid, and he was a teacher. He could read students better than anyone. “You coulda gotten hurt. What if it was a bottle?”

_ It wasn’t. _ David furrowed his brow, his eyes begging Mark to let it go. Mark felt something heavy sink in his stomach as he turned to the road again. Did David always let students walk all over him?

Mark couldn’t stay silent for long, and soon he was talking again, about less significant stuff this time. He could swear David enjoyed listening to his voice about as much as he did. Time flew fast, and soon they reached the camping site. They pitched their tents fairly quickly, and Mark convinced David to go see the lake next.

The sun was already setting when they reached it; it was large and blue, larger than the nearest town probably. It’d easily take them half a day to walk around it. Mark said that last thought out loud, but David didn’t react.

When Mark looked at him, David was staring out at the calm waters, wearing the same haunted expression he had seen before.

“Hey, are you okay?” 

David twitched when Mark touched his arm, and he quickly took his hand away. David’s eyes were wide as he stared back at him.

“David?” Mark asked softly. “Are you okay?”

Dave nodded and gestured behind them in a suggestion to go back to their tents. Mark followed him; there wasn’t much to do at the lake this late, and they’d have plenty of time to explore during the weekend, anyway.

“Hey, I never actually thanked you for everything you’ve been doing for me,” he said on their way back. David’s cheeks darkened, and he tried to wave him off, but Mark continued. “Nah, man, seriously. You were there when nobody else was, and we weren’t even friends at the time. I’m doing this well only thanks to you.”

David made a move like he wanted to grab his wrist, but then changed his mind. He pulled out his phone again.

_ You’d have done it without my help, too. _

“Maybe,” Mark agreed, “but it woulda taken longer. Anyway, what I’m trying to say is, I wanna be there for you, too. I’ll never laugh at you or judge you, just like you never did. So you can tell me… Are you afraid of water?”

David looked at him incredulously, then he looked over his shoulder at the lake. His face cleared in realization, and he shook his head seriously. 

_ I promise I’m not. I’m sorry if I’ve been out of it recently, it’s nothing. _

“It’s fine, you don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to,” Mark assured him. “I just care about you.”

That genuine smile was back on David’s face, but paler than before. They reached their tents and sat down on folding chairs. David searched his bag for sandwiches while Mark took beers out of his car fridge. They exchanged the goods and shared a quiet meal. They must have looked funny together, Mark mused; David still in his white button-up and brown slacks, Mark in a leather jacket and worn jeans. 

Of course, he couldn’t stay quiet for long.

“What’s going on with you and your wife?” he asked, trying to sound casually. “Not gonna lie, I’ve heard you fight a couple times.”

David was opening his beer when his shoulders slumped. He sighed.

_ She’s cheating. _

Mark stared at the text in surprise; he was so interested in David’s weird behavior, he never noticed his wife’s was off, too. He looked up too meet David’s eyes and saw the hidden hurt there before he dropped his gaze. How could Mark ever suspect it was David who had an affair? The kind, selfless David?

“She  _ is _ ? Does she know you know?” 

David shook his head.

“Shit. I’m sorry, man. What will you do now?”

_ I don’t know. I have nowhere to go. _

“So? Pack her bags and kick her out. Better yet, throw her things away, she doesn’t even deserve help packing.”

But David was shaking his head again even before Mark finished his sentence.

_ It’s fine.  _

“No, it’s not. Look, I ain’t gonna tell you what to do. If you wanna forgive her, that’s your choice. But it’s most definitely not fine, Dave. You don’t deserve this.”

_ Maybe I do. You don’t know me. _

David wasn’t looking at him, and Mark stared at the words on the screen, trying to wrap his head around the reasoning behind them. He thought back to David’s face back at the lake and realized he was going through something more than marriage problems.

“Yeah, maybe I wasn’t conscious around you as much as I wish I was. But I do know you. I know you’re caring and selfless. You’re kind, warm, and you make people feel better about themselves. And I’m sorry, but you let those people walk all over you. You let your students throw trash at you, you let Trent break into your property to swim in your pool, you even let me throw up all over you that one time…” David couldn’t help but smile at that one. “And you’re letting your wife cheat on you. And it’s not fine and no, you don’t deserve it. No one does.”

David’s smile was gone as soon as it appeared, and Mark reached out to rest his hand on his wrist. There was that little jolt of surprise again that made him almost spill his beer, but Mark didn’t take his hand away this time. Instead, he squeezed, and when David gazed up at him, Mark stared back with a serious look.

“You helped fix my family, Dave, what was left of it.” He could see David’s thumb type, but he continued. “I don’t know what it is you did that makes you think you deserve to be treated like absolute trash, but I promise: you don’t.”

_ You’d do it on your own, too. _

“But it woulda been so much harder without you. Hell, I  _ know  _ I’d still be drunk on the couch right now if it wasn’t for you, because there are days when I wanna be. But it would feel like letting you down. So instead I’m here, having only one beer tonight.” He realized he was still holding David’s hand, so he leaned back and took a swig from his bottle. “And Trent and I are actually talking again.”

_ I’m happy for you. _

“Thanks, but I’m not happy for you. So even if you don’t wanna kick her out, I do have a perfectly big home with just two people in it, so…” Mark shrugged. “You do have a place to stay. You know, if you wanna.”

David’s thumb trembled slightly as he typed.  _ Thanks. _ His eyes looked glassy, but then he blinked and they were dry again, so maybe Mark just imagined it.

“You’re welcome,” Mark said with a grin.

They spent the rest of the night finishing their lukewarm beers, talking, and laughing.

*

Mark was surprised to find David’s tent empty when he woke up the following morning. He was nowhere in sight on the camping site, and Mark waited for him for a bit, but when twenty minutes passed, he started getting worried. He left the tents zipped closed and went to the only place he could think of: the lake.

He found him there, looking over the calm blue waters. He was still dressed in his white button-up, and it made Mark wonder if he slept at all. He made himself loud as he approached him through the tall grass, and when he touched David’s shoulder, the man didn’t jerk.

“Are you okay?”

Dave looked at him and nodded with a smile, and the warmth spreading in Mark’s chest finally let him believe him. He smiled back, patted him on the back, and pointed over his shoulder with his chin. 

“Come on, let’s have something to eat. And get changed, Jesus, are you gonna look like a teacher even when  _ fishing _ ?”

David’s back shook in a chuckle, and his hand squeezed Mark’s shoulder in a silent thanks on their way back.


End file.
